Button-hole attachment for sewing-machines



(Mdel.)

E. FLETCHER. BUTTON HOLE ATTACHMENT EUR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 412,081. Patented Oct. 1,1889.V

N, PETERS. Fhem-mmmpher. wuhingim; D.C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

ELMER FLETCHER, OE NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUTTON-HOLE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,081, dated October 1, 1889.

Application led December 26,1888. Serial No. 294,622. (Modell) .To all? whom may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER FLETCHER, of Needham, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Button-Hole Attachments for Sewing-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,

is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel attachment for application to ordinary sewing-machines, and by which to stitch material for the production of button-holes.

The attachment herein described is especially devised to move the attachment and the fabric held by it under the needle-bar in such manner as to produce abutton-hole such as described in United States Patent No. 389,840, granted to me September 18, 1888; but by changing the shape of the shapingcam the said attachment may be readily adapted to stitching button-holes with both ends alike or of usual shape.

In this my present invention I have aimed to secure simplicity of construction and durability of parts, and this I 4have accomplished with but comparatively few parts.

The particular features in which my invenvention consists will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a buttonhole attachment embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a section thereof in the line Fig. 1; Fig. e, details of the clamping and adjusting nut forming the connection between the slotted plate (to be described) and the arm of the clamp. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the attachment with the arm of the clamp and the slotted plate and cam removed. Fig. 6 is a detail in plan view, chieliy to show the rear end ot' the attachment and the cam-yoke and means for moving it and holding it in adjusted position according to the length of the depthstitch. Fig. 7 is a top or plan view of the Acam and cam-plate thereon; Fig. 8, an under side view of the parts shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 shows the friction-ring detached, and Fig. 10 shows a piece of cloth stitched to form a a pawl B2,.(see Fig'. 5,) pivoted at B3 and4 acted upon by a spring B4. The lever B is forked at its other end iu usual mannerto be actuated by the usual needle-bar nut or by a projection from the usual needle-bar of the machine.

The bed-plate has a needle-hole 2, and

erected upon the said plate is a shouldered stud or post a. (Shown clearly in Fig.

, The bed-plate has alip 3, a pin 4, and a splitpin 5, and to the latter is secured a detentspring (i. The stud a receives upon it, next to the bed-plate, the depth-stitch cam a', the shape of which is best shown in Fig. 6, it having, as represented, tive like faces 7 on its periphery, separated by five seeming points or corners 8, the said cam being,r of such uniform diameter in every cross-section as to completely iill the slot or space between the sides of the yoke C, as shown in Fig. G, the said cam in its step-by-step rotation derived from the pawl Ba acting on the teeth of the ratchetwheel a2, fixed to or integral with the said depth-stitch cam and acted upon by the detent 6 to avoid back motion. By making the depth-stitch cam of uniform diameter in any and every diametrical cross-section I am enabled to move the yoke positively Without any lost motion, which result could not be accomplished by a triangular cam or by a cam which was not of a uniform length in every diametrical cross-section. In its rotation the depth-stitch cam vibrates the yoke C and causes the projection C of the said yoke (the said projection being between the side bars of the shank D of the clamp) to vibrate the said clamp. The projection C', moved bythe yoke, as described, acts in turn to convey its lateral motion to the clamp, and at the same time this projection also serves as a fulcrum.

on which the shank of the cloth-clamp rocks TOO as the cla-mp is shifted to outline the shape l The stud a, above the ratchet-wheel a2 and beof the button-hole. This latter movement is given to the clamp chiefly through the cam D2, it having a groove 10, in which enters a roller-stud D of a bridge-piece D8, which embraces loosely the shank D of the cloth-clamp, to be described. The cam D2 is fitted to turn on the stud a, just above the second shoulder from the bottom of the said stud The cam D2 is held down on the said stud by a friction-washer 12,whichvis held in place by a screw 13, (see Fig. 3,) which enters a threaded hole in the said stud. The ratchet-wheel a2 has ten teeth, so that the depth-stitch cama is moved just far enough to enable it to move the yoke and cloth-clamp in one direction laterally, and then permit it to remain at rest for one descent o f the needle, and then, when theneedle rises from the material, .move the yoke tand cloth-clamp in the opposite direction and leave it at rest while the needle again descends th'rough'the material and rises therefrom, the said depth-stitch cam moving the clamp uniformly, which could not be done by fa cam which was not of the same diameter in cross-section. The ratchet-wheel a2, it will be noticed, derives its motion directly from the pawl pivoted on the arm B and without the intervention of any other devices, thus simplifying the attachment, and the length of the pawl and the position of the stud a are such that the ratchet is turned by the pawl only Aafter the needlebar which actuates theV lever B has risen sufficiently to remove the needle from the material, the pawl not acting to turn the ratchetuntil after the needle is fully out of the material. The yoke C has a lip C2, (shown best in Figs. V5 and 6,) provided with a hole which receives a fulcrum-pin 14 of a fulcrumblock C3, having, as shown, a slotted extension C4, which lreceives the l.guide-pin 4, and has extended through it theshankof the setscrew C5, which is used to `hold the fulcrumblock in .adjusted position, the nearer the ful'crum-pin V14|: to t-he stud a the longer the y `depth stitch, and vice versa. The fulcrumblock crosses and overlaps the 4yoke C and .aids in keeping it uniformly 'seated on the bed-plate. The yoke has lan ear 16, which extends under. lthe lip 3, which further aids 'in keeping the yoke seated on the bed-plate. The ladjustment of the fulcri-m-i-block carries with it the projection C', which constitutes the f-ulcrum for the shank-'of the cloth-clamp, and as -both fulcrums 14 and C are .adj usted in unison hy ione and the vsame operation it follows that the spaces between the rows of depth stitches at each fside the center of the button-hole are at uniform distances apart in all sized button-holes along the-straight edges of the button-hole slit, :and thus, whatever may be the length `of the depth stitch, the4 button-holes stitched bythe use of the attachment are uniform `and symmetrical, leaving just enough vspace for the cutting'of the fabric after the stitching has been completed.

tween it and the shank D of the cloth-clamp, is surrounded by a washer d, on which rests the slotted shank D. The shank D is bent downwardly at 19 (see Fig. 2) to form the under half e of the cloth-clamp, the said part e resting against the bed-plate and cut out to leave a space about the needle-hole, through which space the button-hole is stitched. The upper part of the clamp consists of an open foot e', pivoted loosely by pins e2 on springarms es, attached by screws 22 to the shank D. The inner edges Vof the foot e are downturned in usual manner to force the material down through the opening in the part c and against the bed-plate. The bridgepiece D8 is slotted centrally and embraces the stud a., the width of the slot i-n the said bridge-piece being just sufficient to t the said stud, so as to prevent any movement of the bridge-,piece in thedir'ection of the length of the bed-plate; but the said `slot is 'enough longer than the diameter of the said stud to enable the shank D of the cloth-clamp to be moved laterally with relation-to the said stud, as by .the `action of the cam D2 on the rollerstud of the bridge-piece, one cam-.groove 10, herein shown, being of such shapeas to cause the cloth to be swung or moved about on thel bed-plate and with such relation to thencedle-hole 2 and the stitch-forming device of the sewing-machine as to enable the shape of the button-hole to be defined. The cam D2 derives its 4intermitting rotation one -step duringeach ascent of the needle-bar of the machine by, as hereinsh'own, the action of -a ring f, (shown separately in Fig. T9.) on which is pivoted a dog f', acted upon by a springf2, connected to the ri-ng, the free end of the said spring acting on the 'said dog at a point vbetween the center of the ring and the pivot f8, on which theisaid dog turns, the said Vspring normally acting to keep a part of the end 23 of the ldog lpressed against the periphery lof the cam D2. The dog is extended outwardly through va slot 24 (see the detail, Fig. .11.) in the lever B, the said lever having an adjusting-screw g, (see Fig. 1 1,) by which theeective length of the said slot maybe regulated. The point of the `said screw g meets the dogf as the lever B is moved by the descending needie-bar, and the ring :and dog are moved backwardly over the cam D2, held in place by the friction-washer 1 2; but as the needfle-barrises it moves the lever B in the opposite direction, `and the Isaid lever at the end of 'the-slotmee'ts the dog f and causes it to frmly engagethe periphery of the cam D2 and rotate vit for'one step. p I i To effect the longitudinalmovement of the clamp according to the length of the buttonhole, I have provided the clamp Aor the shank thereof wit-l1 a rigid arm h, slotted-at htransversely to 'the lslot in the-shank D,-andin 'this slot I have placed a triangular cam '26, mounted loosely on a -screw 27, having an oblong thin head 28, which slides in a groove 29,

ICO

IIO

made in a plate m, shown as countersunk into the upper face of the cam D2, and made adjustable with relation to the said cam by a screw 30 in a slot 31 of the said plate, the screw entering the cam D2. The triangular cam 26 has at its under side (see dotted lines, Fig. 7, and full lines, Fig. 4) a projection marked 41 in Fig. 4:, which projection enters the upper side of the slot 29 in the plate 'rn and prevents any rotation of the said cam 26 with relation to the said plate. The screw 27 has applied to it a thumb-nut 32, rotation of which in one direction enables the head of the screw to be moved in the slot 29 toward or from the center of the plate 'm and the center of rotation ot the cam D2 to thereby cause the cam 26, it acting as a crankpin in the slot h', to move the clamp a greater or less distance longitudinally during any one rotation of the cam D2. Adjustment of the plate m on the cam D2 enables the slot 29 to be correctly located Wi th relation to the camgroove lO, and when over a correct position is secured thereby the screw 30.

The clamp may be opened and closed at proper times by the usual lever n.

I claim-- 1. In a button-hole attachment, the following instrumentalities, viz: the base-plate having a stud a., the slotted yoke C, the clothclamp having a shank D, engaged by a projection of the said yoke, the depth-stitch cam a', uniform in cross-section at all points to till from side to side the slot in the said yoke' to thus move the same positively and prevent any lost motion, and a ratchet-wheel connected to it, both being movable together about the said stud, a lever B, a paWl B2, carried thereby and directly engaging the said ratchetwheel, and means to move the cloth-clamp longitudinally, to operate substantially as described.

2. The base-plate having the stud 0 the depth-stitch cam a', uniform in cross-section at all points, and the ratchetwheel a2, connected tothe depth-stitch cam and both movable upon the said stud, the slotted yoke C,

having the projection C', the said depth-stitch cani at all times iilling the slot in the said yoke from edge to edge, the cloth-clamp having a slotted shank D engaging the said projection, and the cam D2, having aslotl0, and thebridge-plate havin garoller-stud, combined with means for rotating` the said cam-plate and the said depth-stitch cam and means to move the cloth-clamp longitudinally, substantially as described.

3. The base-plate, its stud d, the depth-stitch cam, the connected ratchet a2, the yoke C, moved by the said cam and having an ear C2 and a projection C', the fulerum-plate C2, the stud 14, serving as a fulcrum for the yoke C, the cam D2, having a cam-groove lO, means to rotate it intermittingly, the cloth-clamp having the slotted shank D, means to move the cloth-clamp longitudinally, the bridge-plate, the roller-stud D', mounted thereon, entering the said groove l0, means to rotate the said cam D2 intermittingly, and means to effect the adjustment of the said fulcrum-block, substantially as described.

4. The base-plate A, having the stud a., the depth-stitch cam and its ratchet-Wheel, means to rotate them, the yoke C, having the projection O', the fulcrumplate for the said yoke, the bridge-plate having arollenstud, the cam D2, means to rotate it, the friction-plate co-op erating with the said cam, the cloth-clamp having a slotted shank D, engaged by the said bridge-plate, the slotted plate m, secured to the cam D2, the adjustable screw therein having a cam thereon, and the slotted arm h, secured to the cloth-clamp, the combination being and operating substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ELMER FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, FREDERICK L. EMERY. 

